Lucky to live in San Antonio

The past few weekends have been busy with birthdays and other events, but this weekend we didn't have anything on the calendar, which is always nice too. But, we've come to learn that, at least for this stage in life, sometimes a Saturday with nothing to do can turn into a long, boring, restless day, instead of the hoped-for R&R. So, Saturday morning we got going and decided to play tourist in our own city. We were down at the Riverwalk by 9 a.m. (not hard to do when your kids get up early anyway), rode a river boat, played at the Hemisphere Park playground and had lunch at Casa Rio (margaritas and all). It was wonderful!

I highly suggest to anyone who is planning to visit the Riverwalk in San Antonio to get there early and experience the Riverwalk while it's still calm and quiet. It's beautiful and a very different feeling than the afternoon or evening when it's usually hot and crowded.

As we were heading back home, I felt so blessed to live in this city, where we can experience a mini-vacation in just a few hours. Another very cool thing happened on the way home from the Riverwalk ... my sister called to tell us she has a shiny little something on her left hand! Congratulations Bethany and Joe ... we're so happy for you!

Julia's 3rd birthday

Last Saturday was Julia's 3rd birthday and we celebrated by having a tu-tu party at our house. This girl lives in dress-up dresses and loves nothing more than to have a "party dance" as she calls it. As long as she's all dolled up and has some music to dance to, she's a happy girl! So, in addition to family, about 8 little girls joined her to decorate princess crowns, play pass-the-ballet-slipper and dance and twirl with ribbon wands (which was supposed to happen outside in the warm sunshine - with lots of space to swing their wands around, but due to a downpour just as the party started we had to do everything indoors. Let's just say I was extremely thankful no one poked an eye out with these cute little ribbon wands ... that were supposed to be used outside!)

Thanks to everyone who made the trip and made Julia's day extra special!

The birthday girl enjoying her birthday pancake breakfast.

Concentrating really hard to ride her new Dora scooter!

The ribbon-wand dancing ... indoors.

My mother-in-law always takes care of getting the birthday cakes for her grandkids, and unless otherwise requested, the cakes are made by Linda Goodman in Victoria. They taste heavenly and she does an amazing job of decorating them. This is extra special for us because Linda made our wedding cake too!

Playing with her new dollhouse.

Roadtrip

The weekend before last we went on a little road trip to celebrate some special family events. My cousin just graduated from Texas State and we went to a party in her honor at my aunt and uncle's house in Austin. Halie is such a beautiful, sweet and smart girl and we wish her the best as she starts this new chapter in life!

Before the party we swung by Hula Hut, known for its mexican/polynesian cuisine and fun, lakeside atmosphere. Unfortunately it was pooring down rain, but it didn't stop Carlton and I from reminiscing about one of our first dates there. Who knew that over 9 years later we'd come back with two little girls in tow!

After a visit with my grandparents that evening, we headed to our next destination, Houston, for my nephew's first birthday party. We spent the night in a hotel, which is always a treat for the kids. We even got up the next morning and braved the clouds and mild temperatures for a swim in the pool. Carlton and I often marvel at how the most simple things in life are grand adventures for kids. After the swim, clean up and quick lunch, we headed to the birthday party.

First birthdays are such a milestone - for the child but mostly for the parents. We were honored to share this special time with them and had so much fun watching this adorable little guy play with the beach balls, eat a cupcake and absorb some well-deserved attention.

I've especially had fun having a nephew, since it's all pink around our house! I wish we could see him more often but it's great to keep up with him through my sister-in-law's wonderful blog.

Oh yes, and this post wouldn't be complete without capturing the new contraption that Cartlon engineered for this trip to help provide some "personal space" for our two backseat passengers who can't seem to help from pestering each other. The towel simply unrolled to provide a "wall" that, in theory, was not to be touched, or swatted at, or pulled back or otherwise messed with. I lost track of how many times I heard Carlton say, "respect the wall!" but it sure provided for some entertainment and at times a mild distraction from the pestering. The cliche is so true ... the things a parent will do!